La Canada's Stratford Manor sets record price

Tim Berger / Staff Photographer

The front of the house with a recently laid, 14,000 square foot cobblestone driveway at the home of Robin Dorman in La Canada Flintridge on Monday, December 16, 2013. The Dorman's bought the abandoned, run-down Georgian colonial home 14 years ago, and have recently listed it for sale for $13 million, the highest price for a home in La Canada Flintridge history.

The front of the house with a recently laid, 14,000 square foot cobblestone driveway at the home of Robin Dorman in La Canada Flintridge on Monday, December 16, 2013. The Dorman's bought the abandoned, run-down Georgian colonial home 14 years ago, and have recently listed it for sale for $13 million, the highest price for a home in La Canada Flintridge history. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

Tiffany Kelly

A La Cañada Flintridge couple has put their 12,000-square-foot home on the market for $13.3 million, setting a local record price.

The property is expansive, offering clear views of the San Gabriel Mountains and a woodsy backyard with several bridges and an open space for entertaining. The driveway leading up to the house is filled with hand-cut Australian cobblestone, one of many touches that the owners have added.

But Robin Dorman said the property has become too large for her and her husband, Rod Dorman, since they purchased it 14 years ago. The couple’s two sons have grown up and moved into their own homes.

The Dormans’ seven-bedroom home is set on a four-acre property with two garages that can hold 11 cars.

The asking price of the home was determined after two to three months of consulting with Realtors, Robin Dorman said.

The home, named Stratford Manor, was built in 1995, but received several renovations over the years. One improvement is the bridges, which were rebuilt. The bridges cross over a small creek and are shaded by oak trees. The family kept a 1920s incinerator in the backyard, which also features a dining area, a pool, and a 12-person spa. The family has turned an open outdoor space into an interchangeable venue, which they have used for a wedding and film shoots.

The surrounding area has the look and feel of a forest.

“It’s just very private,” Dorman said of the home. “It’s like living in Descanso Gardens.”

The median price for a home in La Cañada has remained slightly over $1 million in recent months, according to statistics compiled by Realtor Keith Sorem with Keller Williams Realty in Glendale.

Lew said he believes that the home can sell for the asking price, or possibly even more. He said the home has attracted interest from here and abroad.

The home, he said, would also offer great privacy for a celebrity buyer.

“It’s quiet and quaint,” he said. “They can escape the paparazzi and still be close to Hollywood and get access to the production studios."